Garment hanger



Dec 27,1938. N. A. LEASH 0- GARMENT HANGER Filed Ma 17, 1937 2 sheet s sheet'l INVENTOR Neil A. L eash ZLWW ATTORN EYS N, A. LEASH GARMENT HANGER Dec. 27, 1-938.

Fi led May 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Nei/ ,4. Leash BY and A1TOR Ys Patented Dec. 2 7, .1938

uN T- 10 Claims.

, tomers.

The object of my invention is to provide such a hanger at a minimum cost.

Another object is to provide a light weight,

foldable hanger which can be conveniently and inexpensively shipped in bulk.

A further object is to provide a. hanger having soft foldable, relatively broad shoulder-supporting surfaces.

A still further objectof my invention is to provide a hanger made from a single sheet of fabricated material, such as cardboard, which is preformed, grooved and reinforced in a simple manner.

I attain these objects by constructing my hanger in a manner to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. '1 illustrates the body of one form of my hanger which is made from a blank or sheet of cardboard, and which is out and grooved as shown in the initial operation of the manufacture of this form of my hanger;

Fig. 2- is a perspective view of a complete hanger ready for use, the body of the hanger being formed as illustrated in Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the hanger of Fig. 2 showing the hook folded over the body and the body flattened for convenience in packing and shipping;

Fig. 4 illustrates a. blank which has been cut and grooved in the initial operation of the manufacture of a modified form of my garment hanger, in which modified form a horizontal cross-bar for the support of additional garments is provided;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of such a modified form of .my hanger set up ready for use;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse section of the blank from which the hangers in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 are made, illustrating a preferred form of grooving for the blank;

Figs. 7 and 7a are partial perspectives of the hanger of Fig. 2 made with a single groove on each side to form shoulder supporting sections;

Fig. 8 is a partial perspective of a hanger in which the grooves for the shoulder sections have been omitted and instead the-body has been preformed to have'rounding'shoulder supportsf Fig. 9 is a partial elevational viewillustrating 'anothe'rmethod".ofmaking my invention; in which double thicknesses of thinner material'are heavier material used inthe hanger of the previous figures;

Fig. 10 is a partial perspective view of a hanger made as shown in Fig. 6, when set up ready for use; and

Figs 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank from which my hanger as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is made, showing the blank opened up to illustrate. the scoring of the shoulder sections.

. Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, to illustrate one form of my hanger, the body portion I is formed from .a single piece of cardboard, papier-mach, or similar material, the body being substantially rectangular in shape, except at its longitudinal ends, as shown in Fig. 1. In the central body portion 1 a flap, composed of sectionsl and I5, is made by the intersecting cuts 2, 3, t, and 6, these cuts being located symmetrically and the bottom out 4 being parallel to. the bottom edge I of the body I. While the shape of the said flap may be varied, I have found it practical to arrange the cuts 2, 3, 5 and 6 as shown in Fig. 1, with the cuts 3 and 5 extending outwardly and oblihuely from the ends of the bottom out 4, and the cuts 2 and 6 extending inwardly and obliquely from the ends of cuts 8 and 5. Longitudinal scores or grooves 9 and 9a. are made across the flap, as shown in Fig. 1, these grooves being parallel to the bottom and top edges 1 and 8 ofthe body portion of the hanger. The upper groove 9a extends between I the upper extremities of the cuts 2 and 6, and

these cuts are so made that the upper groove 9a will be located midway between the groove 9 and the upper edge 8 of the body l. The groove 9 divides the flap into lower and upper sections l0 and I5; but this groove may be omitted as later mentioned. Oblique grooves H and I2, parallel to the 'cuts3 and 5, respectively, are pressed into the opposite face of the flap to enable the making of folded portions I3 and M for supporting the collar of the garment.

In the forming of the shoulder-supporting sur-v faces three grooves IS, 20 and 2| are made at each side radiating at equal angles from points in the top edge 8 of the body directly above the upper ends of the cuts 2 and 6 as shown in Fig. 1.

These grooves form the three wedge-shaped sec-- tions 25, 26 and 21 at each end of the bodyv l. Themid-seotions 26extend' laterally beyond the ends of the body I, and the ends of the adjoining sections'25 and 21 are shaped so as to connect the mid-sections 26 with the 'top and bottom edges 8,1 of thebody.

Whil er wir c eas -3h sli be made in the body portion I to facilitate the folding of the portions described, I have found it preferable to form grooves or channels in the blank or body i, as illustrated by Is and in Fig. 6, of substantial width and. forming corresponding raised portions l9 and 20 on the opposite side of the'body or blank. These grooves can be made simultaneously with the stamping or cutting of the blank in a single operation and permit easy folding of the body on the grooves without causing any hard or rough edges and without causing any break in the cardboard or other material of which the blank or body I may be composed.

After the body I has been cut and grooved, as

- shown in Fig. l, a strip of wood, cardboard or other stiff material I8, is attached to the body l adjacent the lower edge, by staples or other suitable means, for the purpose of adding strength and rigidity to the hanger, (see Fig; 2). In place of this additional reinforcing strip, however, the

bottom portion of the body I may be extended and folded over on itself, and then secured in position by staples, to produce the required rigidl y; but I have found it most practical to attach a separate strip, preferably of thin wood, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The central flap, composed of the two sections I0 and I5, is folded upon the groove 9a, andthe section I5 is held secured against the body I by staples or other suitable means, as shown in Fig. 2. A wire hook I6 is then attached at the center of section III, the end of the shank of the hook being passed thru said section III and clinched to it. See Fig. 2. An additional piece of cardboard, or similar material, .I'I may be employed, as shown in Fig. 2, for reinforcing the flap where the hook is fastened-to it.

The end portions of the body I are then folded forward alongthe grooves I3, 20 and 2| to form flaring shoulder-supports for the garment. Finally, the ends of the central flap are folded forward on the grooves I I and' I2 to make forwardly projecting portions I 3 and I4 (see Fig. 2) and the hanger is then ready for use. From Fig. 2 it will be noted that the central flap, with the folded portions I3 and It constitutes a form or supporter for the collar and neckband of the coat, or other garment, on the hanger. I con-. sider this-an important feature of my hanger inasmuch as with the common forms of coat hangers, particularly the ordinary type of wire hanger, there is no part of the hanger which directly supports the collar or that portion of -the garment immediately at the base of the,

collar.

I Should it be desired to pack the hanger of Fig. 2 for shipping, the shoulder supporting portions 26, 26, 21 are foldedback so as to lie in the same plane as the body of the hanger, the collar-supporting portions I3 and I4 are similarly folded back so as to lie in the same plane as sections III and I5 of the flap, and, finally,the section ID, to which the hoo I6 is attached, is folded down on the groove 9. The hanger will then be in the form shown in Fig. 3- and ready for shipping. If preferred, however, the groove 9 in the flap may be'omitted, and the hanger packed with the hook' I6 extending in its normal position above the body of the hanger. In either case it is apparent that very little space will be required for shipping quantities 0 my hanger, packed in bulk or nested.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a slightly modified form or additional garment support is provided near the bottom of the hanger; The body 22 of this modified form of my hanger is made also from a single sheet of cardboard and is cut and grooved as shown in Fig. 4. In this body the shoulder supporting portions 25, 26 and 21 and the central flap, to which the suspending hook I6 is attached,-this central flap being provided with foldable portions I3, I6 serving as a support for the collar and neckband of the garment, as above mentioned,are identical with similar parts of the body I shown in Fig. 1. But the body 22 of Fig. 4 is made considerably wider from top to bottom than the body I, and the lower portion of the body is made slightly longer with. grooved end re-inforcing portions 23. A comparatively long narrow horizontal foldable rib 31 is provided in the lower portion of the body 22 by means of the cuts'28, 29, 30, 3| and 32. v Horizontal grooves 33 and 34 are made on this rib 31, as shown in Fig. 4, these grooves being'parallel to the bottom and top edges 35 and 8 of the body. With this modified form of my hanger, I have found it practical and preferable to employ two reinforcing strips. 38 and 39, similar to the reinforcing the foldable rib 3-! is folded out forwardly on the groove 33 leaving an elongated slot oropening thru which a garment, such as trousers, may be inserted. The lip 36 of the rib 31 is then folded down along the groove 34. The foldable rib 31 thus constitutes a broad horizontal supporting bar over which to hang the trousers. When made in this modified form, my hanger, similarly to the hanger illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, may also be easily and conveniently packed in bulk for shipping. When the hanger is so packed the foldable rib 31 and its lip 36 are arranged so as 'to lie in the sameplane as the body 22, and the upper portions are arranged as has already been described with respect to Figs. 2 and 3.

This modified form of my garment hanger is likewise manufactured very simply .and inexpensively. The body 22 is cut from a blank and the grooves and the cuts for the flaps are all made with a single operation, then the stapling at the places indicated constitutes the second step inthe manufacture.

While I have shown the shoulder supporting surfaces folded on a plurality of grooves, thus I 9, 20 and M, radiating from points at the top of the body, it is possible to have each shoulder supporting surface folded on a single groove as illustrated by the Figs. '7 and 7a. In these figures a shoulder supporting surface 50 is folded on the single groove 5| made in the blank or body 52. However, I consider two or more radiating grooves preferable to a single groove for the forming of the shoulder support.

It is also possible in my hangerto dispense with the grooves and folding of the shoulder supporting surfaces entirely and to make my hanger with pre-formed shoulder supports as indicated by 53 m Fig. 8. Such pre-formed shoulder supports are more or less rigid and are not intended to be bent back so as to 'lie in the same plane as the body of the hanger 54. Thus my hanger when made in this way, cannot be packed flat like the hangers of Figs. 2 and 5. Nevertheless, my hanger, when made with pre-formed shoulder portions can very conveniently be nested for shipment or packing in quantities.

While I have described by hanger thus far as made from a singe sheet or blank of cardboard or similar material, it would, of course, be possible to make the hanger of a double or triple thickness of material and this might be done if, for

some particular reason, it is desired to use lighter described.

weight material.

A still further modified form in which my hanger may be constructed is illustrated in Figs. 9, and 11. The hanger in this form is made from a double thickness of cardboard, or similar fabricated material. Fig. 8 shows a portion of the body to as initially cut and. grooved. The two body portions 42, 43 are then folded over on the central horizontal groove 40a and the two portions are secured together by staples M placed below the parallel adjacent grooves M and M, as indicated in Fig.' 6. When this form of my hanger is to be used, the two thicknesses of ma!- terial are separated and presseddown at the grooves M1,, 65, d6, 41 of the shoulder portions to' form broad shoulder-supporting surfaces, one of such shoulder-supporting surfaces beingillustrated in Fig. 10. In packing this form of hanger for shipment, the shoulder supports are ,fiattened and restored to the position shown in Fig. 6. The body of this type of my garment hanger may be stiffened by a strip 48 fastened by staples 49. The essential features of my gar-' ment hanger when made according to this last described construction, however, are the same as. in the other two constructions which I first described and illustrated. The grooves 44 and M and the grooves 45 and 46 may, of course, be so made that the shoulder supporting surfaces will overhang one face only of the body 43, as already The words semi-rigid material are to be understood as designating any material which simulates cardboard in having a certain amount of both rigidityand flexibility, and thus is adapted for making my garment hanger. The word groove is to be understood as any treatment of the material which will facilitate arrangin thereof to the form required. I

I claim:

1. A garment hanger comprising an elongate body of semi-rigid material, the lateral ends of which are formed to overhang one side of the body, whereby to provide relatively broad shoulder supporting portions, the central part of the body having a flap port-ion partially cut out and adapted to be arranged flatwise with the body, the ends of said flap portion provided with oblique marginal portions lineally grooved and adapted to be arranged to support the collar sec tion of the garment, a hook attached to said flap portion, said flap portion longitudinally grooved and adapted to be folded back on said body and thus place the suspending hook wholly within the width of the body.

2. A garment hanger comprising an elongate body of semi-rigid material, the lateral ends of which are formed to overhang one side of the body, whereby to provide relatively broad shoulder supporting portions, the central part of the body having a flap portion partially cut outand adapted to be arranged flatwise with the body, a sus- 3. A garment hanger made of a single sheet of material, creased along its longitudinal middle adapting the portions located on each side of said crease to be folded upon each other, and fastened together at their longitudinal edges to form a body, the lateral ends of said body grooved so as to enable them to be bent to overhang one side of said body, wherebyto provide shoulder supporting portions, the central part of the body having a flap portion partially cut out and grooved so that it may be lifted and arranged fiatwise with the body, and a suspending hook attached to said flap portion.

-4. A garment hanger made of a single sheet of material, creased along its longitudinal middle adapting the portions located on each side of said crease to be folded upon each other, and'fastened together at their longitudinal edges, the lateral ends of said body provided with grooves radiating from said middle crease adapting said ends to be pressed down and extended laterally to provide shoulder supporting portions, the central part of the body having a flap portion partially cut out and grooved so that it may be lifted and arranged flatwise with the body, the ends of said flap portion provided with oblique grooves adapting these ends to be arranged so as to pro- 1 t forward and thus constitute a support of the lar section of the garment, a suspending hook I attached to said flap portion.

5. A garment hanger comprising an elongate body of semi-rigid material, the lateral ends of which are formed to overhang one side of the body to provide relatively broad sloping shoulder supporting portions, a flap cut out on three sides from the middle of the central portion of said body leaving a longitudinal marginal strip of said body above said flap, said flap folded back against said strip and secured thereto, the end. of said flap extending up above said body between body above said flap, said flap folded back against said strip and secured thereto, the end of said flap extending up above said body between said shoulder supporting portions, and said flap having means for supporting said garment hanger.

'7. Ina garment hanger composed of an elongate body of semi-rigid material, the lateral ends of which are formed to overhang one side of the bodyto provide relatively broad sloping shoulder supporting portions, a flap out out on three sides from the middle of the central portion of said body leaving a longitudinal marginal strip of said body above said flap, said flap folded back against said strip and secured thereto, the end of said flap extending up above said body between said shoulder supporting portions.

, said shoulder supporting portions, the sides of the f end of said flap 8. In a garment hanger composed of a single elongate sheet of semi-rigid material, the lateral ends of which are formed to overhang one side of said sheet to provide relatively broad sloping shoulder supporting portions, a flap cut out on three sides from the middle of the central portion of said sheet leaving a longitudinal marginal strip of said sheet above said flap, said flap folded back against said strip and secured thereto, the end of said flap extending up above said sheet between said shoulder supporting portions, the

sides of the end of said flap formed into collar supporting portions.

9. In a garment hanger,.a body made of a single sheet of material creased along its longitudinal middle with the portions located on each side of said crease folded upon each other and be pressed down and extended laterally to provide shoulder supporting portions, 2. flap cut iron the central portion of said body, said flap folder back'against-said body and secured thereto, 1311! end of said flap extending up above said bod: between said shoulder supporting portions, flli sides of the end of said flap formed into collai supporting portions.

10. In a garment hanger, a body made of a single sheet of material creased along its longitudinal middle with the portions located on eacl: side of said crease folded upon each other and fastened together at'their longitudinal edges, the lateral ends of said body formed to overhang one side of said body, whereby to provide shoulder supporting portions, the central part of said body having a flap portion partially cut out and folded back against said body, said flap extending up abovesaid body between said shoulderfsupporting portions, and a hook attached to said flap.

NEIL A. LEASH. 

